Paddington’s Eastbourne Terrace reopens to buses

Friday 14th February 2014

By Krista Eleftheriou

Crossrail has delivered on a commitment to local businesses and residents as Paddington’s Eastbourne Terrace reopens to buses on schedule, following a two year closure to enable construction of the new Crossrail station.

Bus routes 7, 23, 27, 36, 46, 159, 205, 332 and N7 will return to Eastbourne Terrace following a local diversion whilst the Crossrail works were being undertaken. Once Crossrail works are completed in 2018, bus stops on Eastbourne Terrace will provide passengers with an easy interchange with Paddington Station through a new Eastbourne Terrace entrance. An additional bus stop will also be provided on Eastbourne Terrace allowing passengers and residents easier access to local homes and business in the area.

There are no changes to bus route 436 with first and last stops continuing to be in Praed Street.

Ben Hardy, Crossrail’s Paddington Project Manager said: “It is fantastic to be able to deliver on our commitment to reopen Eastbourne Terrace as planned in February 2014. Crossrail, Network Rail and TfL have worked closely with Westminster City Council, businesses and residents to do all we can to deliver these major works in the least disruptive way possible.”

When complete, Crossrail will significantly reduce journey times from Paddington to the West End, the City and Docklands. Passengers will be able to reach Tottenham Court Road in four minutes, Liverpool Street in nine minutes and Canary Wharf in 16 minutes. Crossrail will also help transform and regenerate the area around Paddington station. During the peak, 24 Crossrail trains per hour will operate from Paddington to Whitechapel in each direction.

Excavation of the 250 metre long station has now reached the top of the tunnels, some 20 metres below the road. More than 400 people are continuing to construct the new station.

The road will be open to buses and construction vehicles only and other traffic, including cyclists, will continue to use alternative routes.

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The new Crossrail Paddington station is 250 metres long by 30 metres wide and will be 30 metres deep when excavations are completed. Contractor Costain Skanska Joint Venture has used a top down construction technique. Once the box structure and excavations are complete, work will get underway to fit-out the new station with platforms, escalators, lifts and other equipment.

About Crossrail

The total funding envelope available to deliver Crossrail is £14.8bn. The Crossrail route will pass through 38 stations and run more than 100 km (62 miles) from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, through new twin-bore 21 km (13 miles) tunnels to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

When Crossrail opens it will increase London's rail-based transport network capacity by 10%, supporting regeneration and cutting journey times across the city. Crossrail services are due to commence through central London in 2018.

Crossrail is being delivered by Crossrail Limited (CRL). CRL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London. Crossrail is jointly sponsored by the Department for Transport and Transport for London.